Many people, planting American blueberry, make a mistake, which later has a huge impact on how the plant develops and fruits. So it is worth getting interested in this topic early enough to take care of the question that is crucial for future crops before planting the bush.
We can also plant American blueberry in autumn. However, before we do this, it is worth paying attention to a certain issue that will affect the subsequent fruiting of the plant. I am talking about the fact that American blueberry has a very important requirement, which is acidic substrate with a pH of 3.5-5.0.
This is extremely important because in ordinary garden soil, which usually has a pH of 6.0-7.0, blueberry roots will have problems with the absorption of nutrients, including iron and phosphorus. This will result in growth inhibition, yellowing of the leaves and lack of fruit, and sometimes and even dying the whole bush.
Therefore, before we start planting blueberries, Check the soil reaction to make sure that our plant will have a chance to develop properly. So before we put it in the hole, we must provide its appropriate conditions. The place where we will place it should be prepared at least 2-3 weeks before planting.
The first step is, of course, checking the soil pH, using, for example, a simple acidmeter. Then we remove the soil at a depth of about 30 cm, creating a hole in which we place the plant. We fill it with a mixture of sour peat, sand and pine bark, in a 1: 1: 1 ratio.
However, if The pH will still be too high, you should add a gardening sulfur that will acidify our substrate. Avoid the use of compost or manure, because they quickly increase the pH of the soil and could harm the blueberry. It is also worth from time to time Check the pH of the soil, making it, e.g. every 1-2 months.
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To enjoy abundant crops, we also need to take care of our blueberries after placing in the soil. They should be watered regularly, which is important especially in the first yearu. Earth in which they grow should be constantly slightly moist, but not wet. Be careful to prevent dryness because the plants have a shallow root system.
Plants should be watered in the morning, preferably with rainwater. Let’s also take care of mulching the bushes, with e.g. pine bark. Thanks to this, we will keep moisture in the soil, limit the development of weeds and protect the roots from overheating.
When it comes to Fertilization of blueberries, it does not have to be intense in the first year. It is enough light, nitrogen fertilization in spring, repeated later in May and early June. In the following years we must remember about regularly pruning blueberries to stimulate the development of new, fruiting shoots.
